1. Priority Claim
This application claims the benefit of priority from European Patent Application No. 09 174 143.9, filed Oct. 27, 2009, which is incorporated by reference.
2. Technical Field
This invention relates to an audio console processing audio signals, a console system with a master console and a slave console, and methods for processing an audio signal, as well as any similar apparatus performing a similar function.
3. Related Art
With the increasing use of digital consoles there is a growing request for multiple mixing consoles to share a single microphone (input) amplifier. In the analogue domain the solution was typically achieved with an analogue splitting system distributing multiple instances of the source signal to an independent microphone amplifier in each console. The analogue splitting system may be employed in an application using digital consoles, but this is considered inefficient use of the equipment. A more efficient system may be achieved if a single microphone amplifier is shared, but this also may cause conflict, as many audio engineers or operators may be uncomfortable and concerned that one operator could increase or decrease the microphone amplifier gain and affect the levels and mixes on other consoles or equipment within the system. It is desirable to reduce system costs through elimination of duplicated hardware components, reduced cost of infrastructure components such as cabling and trunking, and reduced cost of installation through fewer system components and simpler infrastructure. Given such demands, sharing common resources is increasingly important. Accordingly, a need exists to provide an audio console or similar system allowing the sharing of a single microphone amplifier.